Shadow, the Fleet-Footed
by Reveille
Summary: She can't help but fall for the blue-eyed, Hamish Duke. Some say he's an alcoholic, some say he's old-fashioned. To her, he's the light at the end of the tunnel. He's the star in her endless skies. He's what makes her heart beat. He's the unobtainable. She'd lay her life down for him and one day, she hopes he'll feel the same. Starts a month before the show. [Hamish x OC]
1. Werewolves and Team Building

"Randall, you're one of my favorite people, but right now, you are driving me crazy." Layton Dunn threw her face into Randall's pillow before slowly turning to look at him. He was currently at his desk, a smirk carelessly sitting on his lips, as he rhythmically bounced a tennis ball off the door. She could feel her patience slip with every _thud_. The summer heat wasn't helping either and Randall was never a fan of the AC. He preferred to keep his room, as he would like to call it, "tropical," and Layton absolutely hated it. She has and always will be a winter-loving spirit and the fact that her skin was starting to perspire was aggravating her to no end. How could another human stand being cooked from the outside in? "Randall," she seethed as he threw the ball again. Her normally mellow temperament out-matched by Randall's actions. "Don't make me come over there." Her eyes narrowed as she tried to bore a hole through the side of his face with her chocolate hues. She dug her fingers into the previously assaulted pillow before sitting up. Randall caught the returning ball before shooting her an amused look. They stared at each other for a moment before Layton launched herself at him. He quickly got up, chair flying to the side, and shimmied out of her reaching grasp.

"Hey, hey! You can't attack your RA!" he laughed as he bounced to the other side of the room. She caught herself on the desk before turning to give him a half-hearted glare. He wiggled the tennis ball teasingly.

"You're not my RA, you're a pain in my ass!" she shouted before lunging at him again. Randall danced out of her way again to jump onto his bed. He let out a hearty chuckle before leaning forward to taunt her with the object of her frustration. Layton blew a stray piece of hair out of her face before analyzing his movements. He shifted from foot to foot as he waved the ball in front of her.

"Let's play fetch!"

"Oh, that's golden coming from you," she waited a moment before diving onto the bed. She managed to grab the end of his pant leg and he toppled to the floor. The tennis ball bounced lightly towards the door before rolling to a stop at someone's feet. A soft clearing of the throat caught both their attentions and they looked up like deer caught in headlights. A dark-haired student stared back at them with thin raised eyebrows. Caught up in the commotion, both hadn't noticed the door open. Randall currently had half his body on the floor. Layton was sprawled on the bed, stomach first, with his feet in her hands.

"What the hell?" the student managed to sputter out.

"Oh, hey, Lilith!" Randall propped himself up. He quickly wiggled his sock-clad feet out of the brunette's grasp. She merely crossed her arms as she took in the sight. It was like she was dealing with children sometimes. Her eyes scanned the askew desk chair, the tennis ball at her feet, and the two college students attempting to act nonchalant.

"What's up?" Layton ran a hand threw her hair to try and detangle the mess. Her and Lilith were more acquaintances than friends. Layton has tried multiple times, but she just can't get Lilith to warm up to her. Sure, they had different personalities, but the former has always prided herself in her ability to connect with people and form strong friendships. Unfortunately for her, Lilith has been an unwavering road-block since day one and Layton has yet to figure out how to deal with that. No amount of pushing and prodding has worked, and the college senior decided that she would take a new approach. Letting Lilith come to terms with their almost non-existent, but budding relationship, at her own pace.

"You two are needed at the house," she gave them another once over in silence before swiftly leaving. Layton let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It wasn't that Lilith hated her, she was sure, it was just so darn uncomfortable sometimes. She didn't know what went on in that head of hers and she was definitely not willing to share.

"Well, that went well," Randall gave the brunette an excited smile. He pushed himself off the floor and dusted his hoodie off.

"Yeah," she thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. She hopped off the bed and stretched her arms before heading towards the door. "Shall we?" she tilted her head after kicking the tennis ball back into his room. He gave a nod before following her out. "I wonder what it'll be about." She bit her lip as she shoved the dorm's main doors open. The light and the heat immediately hit her, and she quickly shielded her eyes. "God, it's hot. I don't know how you're wearing that," she motioned towards his double-layers before heading down the steps.

"I like how it looks on me. There's no beauty without pain," he shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked down the sidewalk together. Layton gave a light hum as she scanned the school grounds now that her eyes have readjusted. There were only a few people walking around, most being faculty. It was a couple weeks before school would officially start. Randall was here early to attend the Residential Advisor training while Layton was here to finish up the last bit of her summer internship with the college's science department. It was pretty much smooth sailing from now on. She just had to draw up her final conclusions for her lab reports and research paper. As for Lilith, who knows? She was definitely not going to tell the brunette of her daily whereabouts.

When they finally reached the house, Randall held the door open for her. She quickly ducked inside to be greeted with a warm feeling. She was never entirely sure if it was because this felt like her true home or if she wished it was. Layton has always held a high appreciation of the beautiful nature tones in the wallpaper and the dark ebony of the wooden trims. All of it came together under the golden cast of the antique wall lamps. She breathed in the subtle scent of sandalwood and vanilla before turning to watch as Randall shut and locked the door.

"In here," a voice called from the other room. The two quickly made their way towards the living room where a tall man with dirty blonde hair stood behind a small bar. His hair was parted on his right and neatly combed. His outfit consisted of a gray button up, black tie, and a vest and to say that this man was good-looking would've been an understatement. Layton gave him a smile, willing her heartbeat to remain steady, as she entered the room and took a seat on the couch. Randall followed suit, throwing his legs onto her lap. Lilith had positioned herself on the edge of her arm chair, her eyes flickering from party to party. The man continued pouring out drinks after giving them all a nod. There was a moment of silence before he spoke. "How has everyone's day been so far?"

"Really?" Lilith raised a brow. "That's what you brought us all here for?" Randall coughed to hide his light chuckle, but Lilith turned to glare at him regardless.

"I'm not allowed to check on you guys?" he asked with an amused smile.

"You do realize we have phones, right?" she paused for a moment as he continued to stare at her. "You do know what a phone is? You can't be that ancient." She huffed when he looked down to grab some of the prepared drinks. He brought a couple over before doubling back and bringing the rest. He had set a gin and tonic in front of her with a delicate slice of lime.

"Thanks, Hamish," Layton offered a smile before she took a small sip of the cocktail. He responded with a quick nod before standing in front of all of them. His hands settled on his hips before he spoke. Layton let out a small breath as she tried not to focus on his stunning blue eyes. She knew she shouldn't be having these thoughts. It was completely inappropriate, especially considering that he was still hung up over Cassie. She couldn't share the same extent of pain he felt but she understood him. Cassie was like an older sister to her, always watching out for her with the best of intentions. They had girl-nights out and shared many fond memories together. It was hard for her when she passed. Layton can only imagine the pain that Hamish felt that night. Unfortunately, her heart was dead-set and despite her best efforts, she just couldn't get him out of her mind. She had always thought he was handsome, even when he was with Cassie, but their relationship had always stopped her interest in progressing. Now that she's gone, as tough as it is to admit, her feelings can't help but evolve for him. But she couldn't do anything. She couldn't fathom the thought of ever tarnishing their ex-leader's spirit. Oh, the shame and guilt she felt every day for even looking at Hamish in that way. Cassie would turn in her grave if she ever made a move on him, she just knew it.

"I was wondering what you guys were planning to do before the semester starts." His eyes fell on Layton, curious as to why she suddenly seemed deflated, before looking at Randall expectantly.

"Well, nothing really. Sleep and eat," Randall thought out-loud. "Probably hit the gym." He flashes Hamish his signature not-a-care-in-the-world smile.

"This is a waste of time," Lilith groaned, throwing her body back into the arm chair.

"Why do you ask?" Layton prodded the eldest, finally coming out of her sudden stupor. She set her drink down on the table and folded her hands over Randall's feet. "Did you have plans for us?" Hamish's eyes flickered over to her for a moment too long before answering. Layton's brow furrowed when his eyes quickly adverted towards Randall.

"I was hoping that we could do something that would bring us closer together as Knights. Team building, if you will," he explained with his hands.

"Team building?" Lilith scoffed, her interest in the conversation diminishing by the second. "Count me out."

"Wait, no, this is great," Randall shot up, throwing his legs up into the air. Layton quickly pushed herself against the back of the couch to avoid his flailing limbs. "What about a Knights' Road Trip, eh, eh?" he looked around the room with pure excitement. "Come on, guys," he smiled brightly. "I know Layton would be up for it," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. "Right?"

"I mean, sure, sounds like fun," she nodded, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. He let go of her before standing up.

"It could be short, just a couple days." Randall began pacing in front of the couch. Layton watched as Lilith rolled her eyes and Hamish put a hand to his chin in thought. "We could go down to the lake," he snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up even brighter as he began chasing the idea. "Barbeque? Drinks? A couple nights under the stars?" he offered. "Tents! We could get some nice tents!"

"You're actually really excited about this," Layton chuckled. Her curly haired friend turned to look at her.

"Of course, what's not to like? We could go right after my training is finished. That should give us a couple days to get ready," he turned to fall back onto the couch. "We'll get snacks, get a music playlist ready, and everything. So, what do you guys think?"

"I'm not against it," Hamish started, nodding his head. "The magic hasn't been frequent since college hasn't started up yet."

"Well, I'm still out. You boy and girl scouts can do whatever," Lilith stood up, completely over the conversation.

"Hey, come on," Randall begged as she turned to leave. "It'd be fun. A great bonding experience. You're our newest Knight, don't you want to get to know us better?"

"I'll watch the house," she ignored him and quickly left the den, nearly slamming the door on her way out. It was followed by a couple beats of silence.

"Any hope we can turn her around?" Randall sighed. The remainder of us looked at him as if he were crazy. "Right."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading!  
Hopefully you guys enjoyed the intro chapter. I wanted to start the story a little before the show takes place to solidify where Layton stands in the group. Let me know what you think!  
For those coming from Wind Rider, please don't kill me! I know I haven't uploaded in a year. I've just been having a tough time getting back into it at the moment. I promise there will be a conclusion to her story, however long it takes!


	2. Muddy Buddies

"Okay, nuts or chips? I'm even up for candy options," Layton tugged a couple strands of hair behind her right ear as she bent down to look of the trail mix options. She pulled a bag from the shelf to analyze the colorful packaging.

"Muddy…buddies?" Hamish stared at the coated chex squares in confusion.

"It's a sweet snack," Layton chuckled as she puts it back on the shelf. Hamish and Layton had been perusing the store for quite some time, collecting all their necessities. Randall had handed them a list earlier of all the things he would like as well as what they'd all collectively need. It was relatively lengthy, and they had been slowly chipping away at it.

"Ah," he nodded before letting his eyes wander elsewhere on the shelf. Layton caught herself staring at his distracted state with a small smile before scolding herself. She quickly pulled off a can of peanuts and dropped it into her shopping cart. Focus, Layton.

"We'll take one of these. Easy to eat, not too messy," she explained. "If I remember correctly, Randall also said he wanted some gummy worms." She pulled out her phone to check her list of items. "And he wanted Cheetos." She looked around for a second before spotting the orange bag. "Ah, here we go." She plucked the family-sized pack off and chucked it in the cart before heading down the aisle. Hamish followed behind her as she turned into the sweets section. "Chocolate?"

"No, I am certain it will melt before we even get into the car," Hamish shook his head before reaching over to dump a bag of worms into the cart. "I don't want indiscernible brown stains."

"You're right," she nodded. "That should be it. We've got the barbecue stuff, snacks, neck pillows…" she fell silent as she checked off each item in her mind.

"Tents?"

"Oh yeah! That's probably the most important of them all, huh?" Layton started pushing the cart but was stopped when a hand grasped the handle.

"Here, let me," he smiled softly and pushed ahead. Layton stared at his retreating back, feeling her heart rate quicken for a second. He smelled just like the house, which should've been obvious since he lived there. In reality, the house probably smelled like him, not the other way around. Sandalwood and vanilla. Her senses tingled and the scent quickly dissipated. She gulped, shaking the thoughts of her head, before trailing after him. "You have been awfully quiet as of late." She didn't respond until she caught him staring at her from the corner of her eyes. His blue eyes piercing through her wall.

"There's just been a lot of my mind recently," she started. He raised a brow for her to go on. "Senior year of college, you know?" she coughed, trying to lie through her teeth. He didn't seem too convinced. He always seemed to know when she lied. But Layton supposed she was never a good liar to begin with, so it probably wasn't that hard.

"Really? I feel like this started a while back, mid-way through your junior year," he prodded.

"It's nothing, really. At least, not anything you need to worry about," she raised a hand to lightly pat his shoulder but thought against it. She let her hand fall limply to her side. "Just nerves about graduation." Layton bit her lip and scolded herself once more for being so obvious. She was never good at hiding her emotions and it was painstakingly obvious that Hamish knew that.

"If you ever need to talk with someone," Hamish started gently. "I will always be available."

"Thanks," she smiled, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. "Anyways, should we each get a tent, or should we share?" She diverted the conversation as soon as they entered the camping aisle. "They're kind of expensive, no?" Her nose scrunches when she notes the price tags.

"Maybe we should all get one to share," Hamish agreed, thinking about his crying wallet.

"Yeah, we could get this 4-person one," she pointed one out, pulling it off the hanger. "Light-weight, fiber glass poles," she reads off the label.

"It's kind of short," Hamish runs his finger over the dimensions.

"Okay, everything's going to be short to you, you giraffe," Layton bumped him with her shoulder playfully. In that moment, she tried not to think about her feelings and, instead, remember what it was like when they weren't in the way. "I'm sure this is nothing short of a hobbit hole to your towering height."

"So, how do you propose I fit in there?"

"You crawl," Layton deadpanned before bursting into a fit of giggles. "You crawl! I don't know why I find that so funny," she bends over to clutch and clutches her stomach. "I can't breathe." Hamish watches in barely contained amusement. It's been a while since he's seen her laugh like this, at least around him. He's seen Layton and Randall hang out around campus before and when she's with him, her whole face lights up. With Randall, she shows off her brilliant smile. But with himself, she always seems so down. And it wasn't always like this. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't rack his brain for what went on between them. They used to hang out all the time, and they were close. And it wasn't as if she just flipped a switch. He saw it happen over time. Her twinkling eyes, a little duller – if she even looked him in the eyes anymore. Her smile was a rarity around him these days. Her easy-going attitude, tense and forced. He just wanted her to open up to him, to let him know what was going on through her head. After Cassie died, she was his rock for some time. They hurt together and they found solace together. It hurt him to know that she was slowly drifting apart from him. What changed? What did he do? It felt like the world ended when Cassie died. Felt like the ground was ripped from underneath him. He could barely stand being at the house. Everything reminded him of her. He only got by because of Randall and Layton. He knew that it worked. He knew that he was recovering. Piece by piece, his heart was becoming whole again, filled by the memories of his friends around him. The house was less lonely. He didn't cry in the middle of the night anymore. But now, he felt as if it was drifting back. Layton seemed to avoid the house. She seemed to avoid him.

"Hamish?" her voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Earth to Hamish!" His eyes refocused on his surroundings to see her waving her hands in front of his face. She looked extremely worried. "I've been calling you for, like, five minutes. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he gave her a gentle pat on the head, still not focused enough to see her flush red. "Just dozed off for a moment."

"That's not like you," Layton coughed as she tried to hide her red ears.

"Apologies," he moved forward to take the tent from her and put it under the basket of the cart. "Let's go pay for our things and haul it back to the house." With her help, they loaded the car after checking out. The ride back was done in comfortable silence, both occupied in their own thoughts. Layton leaned her head against the window to watch the scenery fly by.

* * *

"Guys, this is awesome!" Randall cheered as he looked at the supplies we got. He kept picking up random items and examining them before throwing them back into the pile. "This road trip is going to be so cool. First Knight's road trip!" He pumped a fist before pulling Layton into a one-armed hug. "Minus Lilith. Anyone seen her recently?"

"I saw her at the library, actually," Layton nodded. Randall slowly let go of her and plopped down on the couch. He let his arm rest on the back and cross his left leg over his right. "We made eye contact and I said 'Hi' but that was pretty much it. She was really focused on her text book so I didn't want to be a bother. Plus, the last time that Randall tried to talk to her while she was studying…" They all gave each other knowing looks.

"That's good at least," Hamish nodded. "So, when do we plan to leave by?"

"10AM at the latest. That way, we'll have enough sunlight to put up our tent and gather some firewood," Randall said before pulling out his phone. "I've checked the route times and everything."

"Randall being prepared for once, ladies and gentlemen," Layton giggled. She felt a pillow hit her in the head. "Hey!" She looked up to see Hamish laughing while Randall gave her a smug smile.

"I am officially a RA, thank you very much. It means I'm very prepared," he said matter-of-factly.

"Sure, let's see how your first week of school goes, then we'll talk," Layton scoffed, lightly tossing the pillow back onto the couch. "Anyways, are we sure about leaving Lilith by herself?"

"I'd rather her come along but it is her decision. It is not all bad though, a protector for the house while the majority of us is away is a good idea," Hamish shrugged. "She can also keep an eye out for bad magic, though, I doubt there will be much of it."

"Makes sense," Layton agreed. "Alright, so we'll see each other at 10 tomorrow?" Randall and Hamish nodded. This is going to be one hell of a trip.


	3. Hamish the Uber Driver

_My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,_

_And they're like,_

_It's better than yours,_

_Damn right, _

_It's better than yours,_

_I can teach you_

_But I have to charge_

Randall was screaming at the top of his lungs while Layton accompanied him by singing into an empty water bottle. The curly haired student was in the back seat with the bags of snacks buckled in next to him. Layton was sitting shot-gun to a very exhausted Hamish. He had listened to them choose and belt songs for roughly two hours and his enhanced hearing was doing him no favors. He did enjoy that they seemed to have the time of their lives; however, and for that, he hasn't complained. Well, except this one time. And there was that other one. Okay, Hamish can admit that he complained quite a few times. But it was only because they would skip his choice of classical pieces to opt for more mainstream and upbeat tunes.

"Okay, okay," Layton tried catching her breath. All the singing and the laughing caused her face to flush red. Hamish thought it was kind of cute. Cute? No, not cute! _Endearing._ No. Just! Charming, how about that? "Maybe we should actually let Hamish listen to his old-people songs for once?" She offered, tossing her head back to peek at Randall. There was a moment of silence before they both screamed, "Nah," and it was immediately switched to Lady Gaga. Layton whipped her hair as she rocked out to the singer.

"You guys are crazy," Hamish shook his head. His eyes briefly flickered to his mounted phone that currently displayed their route. He took note of the time left and the next turn before staring back at the long stretch of road ahead of them. They still had a couple hours left before they would arrive at the lake.

"You only say that because you love us," Layton huffed in between lines of lyrics. "Randall, this is a jam!" She whooped before rolling down the shotgun window. Her previously mussed hair became even crazier as the wind streamed into the car. Her light-brown tresses were pulled from her face and continued tangling with each other. Randall turned up the music from his phone before throwing the device back on the seat beside him.

"Still crazy," Hamish mumbled under his breath. He watched as Randall dumped a couple Cheetos into his mouth from the rear-view mirror.

"This is awesome!" He exclaimed. "I knew the road trip was a great idea," he boasted with a huge smile set on his lips. He beamed even brighter when Layton gave her own nod of approval from the front. "Alright, I think it's time for these puppies to come off," Randall mumbled to himself before kicking off his sneakers.

"Oh no, put them back on," Layton groaned when she turned to see what he was doing. "Those stink," she emphasized his wiggling toes.

"They do not stink. Plus, I am not about to trap my feet again after just tasting freedom! Let them live a little," he threw his feet up on the center console storage compartment, right between his seniors. He heard a collective cry of disgust.

"Randall," Layton complained, shoving his feet towards Hamish's side. "Don't do this to me!" Hamish made a face and a move to avoid the incoming limbs.

"I'm driving," Hamish scolded, pushing Randall's feet towards the center. While the two pushed his feet from side to side, he was dying of laughter in the back.

"Don't make the Uber driver mad," Layton pouted, poking Randall's ankle. He wiggled his toes tauntingly before withdrawing them.

"Fine, fine. But they're staying off," he pointed at her.

They continued their antics in the car, all the while slowly driving Hamish insane. The three of them had also stopped briefly at a gas station for a bathroom break and to restock on snacks at one point. Otherwise, it was a fairly smooth drive and they reached their destination in record time. At the camp site, Layton helped the guys pick the perfect spot to set up their tent and helped them unload the car. Randall had left them soon after to find firewood before dusk set. Hamish and Layton were left to figure out how to set up a tent and organize the site.

"Okay, so we have to connect these poles and then stick them into the open flaps for support," Layton skimmed the instructions quickly. She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear before looking at the pile of parts in front of her. They had opened the package and laid out the parts side by side. Hamish had his hands on his hips and was hovering over her to read the paper as well. "Then we just kind of mush it into shape," she squinted at the small pictographs.

"Mush it into shape," Hamish echoed with a grin.

"You know what I mean," Layton looked towards him, just now realizing how close he was. If he took a half-step forward, her back would be flush against his front. She cleared her throat and quickly looked away. "I don't think it'll be that complicated. We just stake it to the ground after."

"Well, let's get to it then," Hamish nodded before shuffling away and moving over to the pile of components. He picked up the set of rods and began connecting them together. Meanwhile, Layton stuffed the instructions in her pocket before following suit. She grabbed the tent and flipped it around a couple times to figure out which side was the top. After establishing the tent right-side up, they worked in tandem to slip the rods into the structural flaps. The tent quickly took shape and was anchored to the ground.

"Good stuff," Layton smiled as she stood in front of the tent's zippered entrance. She stared down at it proudly having been the first tent she's ever set up.

"I'm back," Randall shouted as he emerged from the woods. He had a couple quartered chunks of wood under his arm. "We got lucky! I found a pile at an old site about twenty yards out."

"Great job," Hamish patted him on the shoulder and helped him build a campfire. Layton watched from the side as they joked around. She smiled softly as they laughed and pushed each other around, nearly knocking over their formed pile. It wasn't often she saw Hamish unwind a little and actually enjoy the moment. He was always fixated on the future of the Knights and his own job. It was a nice change of pace to see him so carefree. His bright ocean blues seemed to shimmer in the afternoon glow and a large smile rested on his lips. She stayed for just a bit longer, hoping to mentally solidify this memory in her head forever before dipping quietly out of the camp site to fix dinner. It didn't take long for the boys to join her. Besides the snacks, they hadn't eaten a solid meal since breakfast. Things quickly moved along, and their food was prepared. A steaming pot of chili sat between the three and they happily filled their bellies. Now that it was breaching the dark of night, the hot chili was a warm welcome. After they had finished, the three worked quickly to set up for the evening. Sleeping pads and blankets were set in the tent and unneeded supplies were packed back into the car. The campfire was still burning nicely, and Randall had made sure to upkeep it as the hours wore on. Before long, all they had left to do was enjoy the peace and quiet by the lake. Exhausted from the long drive, Hamish had retired early. The two teased him about his old age but thanked him nonetheless for taking on that responsibility. With the eldest gone, the two decided to lay in the grass and watch the stars.

"They're beautiful," Layton mumbled softly. She had her arms behind her head and the rest of her body laid close to Randall's. He was laying with one arm behind his head and the other on his stomach. Layton could hear his soft breaths as he stared up at the twinkling lights.

"Yeah, it's nice to take a break from regular life to do this," he responded just as quietly. He seemed different. A little bit more serious, a little less…Randall. He's always been the goofball of the group, enjoying the little things in life and constantly smiling. Most of the time, he was joking around and hanging with friends. He never really went crazy, but he did have his moments. Right now, he seemed to be at absolute peace. "Honestly, I wish we could stay here forever. The three of us, and if God would allow it, Lilith," he snickered at the last bit. Layton smiled at the thought of Lilith joining them in their "scouts" activities.

"She would've killed us the moment we got in the car," Layton whispered. She didn't want to get any louder and keep Hamish awake. "We're lucky that Hamish is as patient as he is. Driving us around. Doing what we want. Listening to our music." Randall hummed in agreement and they fell silent for a few minutes. All they could hear was the sound of crickets, wind-rustled trees, and the water lapping at the lake shore. Layton almost fell asleep laying right there, under the night sky. "We need to do this again before we leave, the three of us." She saw Randall nod in the corner of her eye.

"For now, let's head to bed," he got up slowly, dusted off his pants, and offered the brunette a hand. She gladly took it and they headed towards the tent together. Randall unzipped the opening as quietly as possible and peered inside. Hamish had chosen to middle sleeping pad and had cozied up under a dark gray blanket. "After you," Randall turned to motion Layton in with his head. He retracted his body to allow her enough space to crawl in.

"Aww," Layton stifled a giggle when she saw the sight of their leader sleeping peacefully. She took care not to squish Hamish's legs as she made her way to the right side of the tent. While Randall was struggling to get to the other side of the tent, she had managed to squirm her way under her own blanket. She waited until Randall was settled and whispered a goodnight. He quietly responded before turning on his side, his back towards Hamish. Layton smiled to herself as she bunched the blanket around herself. She mulled over the events of the ending day for a few moments before relaxing into her pillow. From the sugar-filled car ride to the relaxing dinner by the campfire.

"Thanks, Hamish," she mumbled under her breath, peeking at the sleeping male beside her. She could feel herself reaching out to brush a lock of stray hair out of his face but thought better of it. She retracted her hands under her blanket and sighed before turning to stare at the tent ceiling. And that's how the night ended, three little wolves falling asleep to the rhythm of each other's hearts.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry if the last two chapters have been a bit slow. I'm trying to establish what kind of relationship Layton has with the rest of the group, minus Lilith, and the intricacies that come with it. I promise that we will get to the show soon! Thank you for bearing with me. I hope to also have the chapters increase in length within the next few chapters. I'm not sure if that will happen, but if it does, I want to apologize in advance if they get posted slower.


	4. The Wolf Den

"Anxiety?" Randall dropped onto the periwinkle beanbag in the corner of Layton's dorm room. When he leaned back, his arms brushed against the dark wood trim lining the underside of snow-white walls. The similarly hued ceiling was gently lit up by a few strings of loosely hanging fairy lights. The rest of the room was illuminated by the semi-opened blinds, a warm green candle labeled "Autumn Woods" resting on the bedside table, and a simple desk lamp. Layton sat on the other side of the room, her legs dangling off her neatly made bed.

"No, I think I'm just now realizing," she paused to tug on the bottom hem of her blue striped bow shorts. "I'm really old," she let out a breath of a laugh. "And, I'm graduating this year," she bit her lip before looking directly at her good friend. "Time flies, it really does," she furrowed her brows for a moment. "And, I feel like I'm just being roped along."

"Well, you'll never be as old as Hamish," Randall offered with a grin. He drums his fingers on the side of his seat before kicking off his shoes. His gray sneakers flew off in a small arc and tumbled to an awkward stop a few feet away from him.

"Yeah," she scoffed, letting her body fall back onto the rest of her bed. "Because that's how aging works, pre-med." Her eyes followed the subtle imperfections of her ceiling.

"Okay, bringing in the degrees now, are we? Hurtful," Randall gave her a joking look before his eyes flickered over to the stack of papers on her desk. Just seeing how high it was hurt his own soul. He knew Layton had spent many days grueling over each word. "How's the paper coming along anyways?"

"I want to die. Please, end my actual existence," she mumbled. Her arms reached over to the head of the bed, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, she managed to grab a round fluffy pillow and squished it, unceremoniously, over her face. "Dr. Larkin is actually requiring me to write another three drafts for the abstract. I mean, they're short," she lifted the pillow off her face and set it to her side. "But, come on. The contents of my paper aren't changing, so there's only so many variations of a summary I can come up with," she let out a long sigh. "And he wants it by tonight."

"Have you started?" Randall got up and shuffled over to her chair. His eyes scanned the first couple pages. Randall attempted to make out more than a couple of paragraphs worth of long words and detailed procedures. Sprinkled throughout the pages are diagrams and graphs, often paired with an extensive legend and a descriptive caption. "I can't believe your brain hasn't turned to mush," he peeked at the back of a page, finding a small picture of different colored test tubes and a couple paragraphs of reagents used and the results.

"Yeah, I don't know how it hasn't either. I was thinking I would look into it after dinner," she pushed herself up with her elbows before scooting off the twin-bed. "My brain only works when I've got food in my system. Want to get a smoothie?" Layton scooped her wallet and her keys off her bedside before heading towards the toffee colored door.

"Smoothies? From where?" Confusion momentarily took over Randall's face as he turned to look at the brunette. He quickly set the report down and followed after her.

"Marco's," she smiled as she slips her feet into her sneakers.

"Marco's sells smoothies? No way," Randall rolled his eyes. "I know Marco's menu like the back of my hand." Randall picked up his strewn shoes and put them back on. The two of them, along with most students in Belgrave, has spent a lot of time at the local bar- the only one within miles of the campus. Its rustic brick aesthetic paired with moody lighting and vibrant LED's were the second home to many looking to relax with friends, grab a drink, or have a casual group study. The decently priced drinks were also a plus and kept many regulars coming back.

"Well, apparently not," she ushered him out of her room and locked the door behind them. "Actually, they're running a special for the next two days, before the semester starts. Something about trying to pick up some health-nuts? Or opening an option for the younger crowd? They probably know that all the underclassmen sneak-in anyways," she moved her hands in the air as she spoke. As they pushed through the double doors exiting out of the dorms, Layton was nearly floored. She quickly stumbled back as a body almost ran into her.

"I am so sorry," a female's voice fretted. Layton quickly regained her balance and looked to see a student with a blonde wavy bob and deep blue eyes. Her dark brows were furrowed in worry. Layton quickly noticed a Belgrave University lanyard hung around her neck holding a dorm key, an orange whistle, and a tour guide ID card. She seemed frazzled in general, but more so after nearly headbutting her.

"It's fine," Layton offered a small smile before moving around the student and catching up with Randall, the incident easily forgotten. "Sorry about that," she quickly fell in step with him. Her companion shook his before throwing his arm around her shoulder. The girl turned to look at the retreating pair for a moment before heading into the dorms at a brisk pace.

"So, tell me about these smoothies." Randall sent her his signature smirk before leading her away.

* * *

No one has ever enjoyed the first day back to school, and if they told you otherwise, they would be a cold hard liar. At least that's what Layton believed on that fine crisp morning, the day right before the beginning of her senior year. It was freshmen orientation day and although she tried to sleep in, the noise of people moving in kept her awake. She was currently standing in front of a mirror pulling her brown locks into a loose ponytail. A few stray strands remained out of the confines of the hairband to frame her face. She let out a sigh before running a hand down her mint-colored cropped t-shirt, pulling at the hem to straighten it out. She gave herself one last look before picking up her bag and slipping out the door. Numerous students crowded the already-tight hallways, texting, catching up with friends, and moving in. Suitcases and boxes propped open doors and colorful flyers of all kinds littered the floor. Layton gave fleeting smiles to familiar faces and avoided bumping into new ones. Jeanette, a pretty, petite Korean from her last term's genetics course gave her a quick nod and wave before pulling her boyfriend into her dorm room. She passed by a girl sporting a black floral cardigan, a leopard print suitcase at her heel. With a quick glance, she saw the student's dark eyes look her up and down before pursing her lips and checking her phone. Layton shook her head and continued forward, squeezing between a pair in their high school Letterman jackets to reach the staircase. She hugged the right railing as she rushed down, her feet making light work of the steps. As she neared the first floor, her enhanced hearing allowed her to pick through the hum of students to find a familiar voice.

"I think I'm supposed to say that." Her eyes scanned the hallway for a second before focusing on Randall. He had the dorky Belgrave lanyard on and was holding onto a newly acquired freshmen clipboard pack. "Hey," he gave her a wave when he saw her heading over to him.

"RA duties, fun," she snickered, stealing the blue clipboard from him. He instinctively reached for it, but she quickly turned her back to him. "A _How-Not-to-Rape_ pamphlet, nice," she giggled, tapping on the cover of the small booklet. Two students wearing Belgrave school spirit were posing on the cover with their arms crossed and backs against each other. She breezed through a couple pages as she moved away from Randall's reaching hands. Flipping back to the front, she saw his messy scrawl noting check-in times and roommate change requests on a sticky note. His most recent student was a guy by the name of Jack Morton.

"Hey, I kind of need that," Randall moved around to block her. He snatched the piece of plastic back and gave her a disapproving look. "I'm working here," he mimicked the New York accent before scribbling something down. "Don't you know, I'm a busy man? The man of the hour, actually."

"Alright, hot shot," she rolled her eyes. "Anyways, I just wanted to say good morning. I see you've got a handle on baby wrangling. I'm heading over to see Hamish. If you need any rescuing from these freshmen, let me know," she flashed him a small smile before narrowly avoiding two guys lugging a couch on her way out. The fresh morning air greeted her along with the sound of nervous laughter, guided tours, and parents wishing their kids luck. "They're so cute," she smiled to herself as she watched a few individuals try and use the sign out front that displayed the campus map. Their heads swiveled this way and that as they attempted to triangulate their own location. She readjusted the bag on her shoulder before heading towards the Knight's den. The walk wasn't bad and Layton kind of enjoyed the liveliness on campus. The few months of summer at Belgrave were often quiet with very few sticking around. Most that were here hid away in their dorms and kept to themselves. It was a nice change of pace.

At the door, she let herself in. "Hamish?" She called out. She shut the door behind her quietly and headed over to the living room. The oldest Knight was reclined on the sofa, a worn book in his hands and a strawberry garnished cocktail on the table beside him. He set the cover down on the table next to his drink and swung his legs to the side so that he could sit up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," she grimaced, setting her bag down next to the coffee table.

"No, no, never. You know that," he ushered her in with a wave of his hand. "You alright?" he scanned her person before analyzing her face. He watched as she slumped down on the armchair and got comfortable.

"Same old, same old. I officially completed my internship on Friday. How about you? Have you prepared your material, yet?" She slipped her shoes off so that she could pull her legs up to sit crisscross.

"Just about," he nodded in her direction. An awkward silence permeated the room for a minute as Layton tried to find something to say. She hated the frog caught in her throat and she hated the fog in her brain. It was always like this around him.

"I-," she cleared her throat. "I heard some ringing this morning."

"It looks like they're starting back up again. Recruitment," Hamish frowned. He picked up his mixed drink and drank it whole. "I'm positive we will hear more of it throughout this month. It is like it's always been, the new users will want to test out their new-found knowledge and they usually are over-the-top with it." He stood up, fixed his vest and headed to the bar. He began making another cocktail. "The usual?"

"Not right now," she shook her head. He faltered in his movements before continuing. "I just woke up not too long ago and haven't had anything to eat. I'm more hungry than anything."

"Suit yourself," he nodded before pouring out a glass for himself.

"Actually, do you want me to pick something up for us?" She watched as he easily crossed the room with his longer legs. He lowered himself back onto the couch and replaced the empty glassware with the new. "From Eggstatic?"

"That name's horrendous," Hamish groaned. He picked up his book and leaned back against the backing of the sofa.

"Yeah, but I know you love their eggs Benedict," she countered.

"You know me so well," he beamed at her. She sat frozen for a moment, his smile taking her breath away. She could hear her own heartbeat picking up speed. "Layton?" She shot up from her seat, nearly stumbling over her shoes and then, subsequently, her bag.

"Uh, sausage and toast?"

"That'd be fine," Hamish replied, amused. She gave him a stiff nod before making her way out of the den. Hamish contemplated her reaction for a bit before downing his drink again. "That girl."

The rest of the day was peaceful. Layton returned with a large order of breakfast and the two feasted on eggs and carbs. They both stayed in, enjoying the calm before the storm that was college. Randall visited later at night, drunk, and rambled on about how he got one of the "nasty elitist, shit-crock sheep." He quickly collapsed on the couch Hamish previously occupied and passed out. Lilith popped her head in once to grab a leather jacket she had left behind. She greeted the occupants with a nod before leaving as fast as she came. Layton browsed the web on her laptop, occasionally watching some recorded seminars after Hamish retired to his room to plan for his recitations. As her device neared the end of its battery life, Layton, too, dozed off, all the while dreading the next day.

* * *

A/N: And so it begins. Apologies for the wait. Life got in the way for a while. Enjoy!


	5. Easy as Pie

"Back at it again, huh?" Layton mumbled to herself after casting a few glances at the oversized chessboard in the courtyard outside the library. Within the short time-frame of her reading on a bench nearby, several freshmen had wandered over and messed with the pieces. All of them appeared interested in a specific tile and rearranged some pawns as if they were attempting to solve a puzzle. Most of them left, frustrated, while a select few headed in a similar direction after verifying something on their maps. "I wonder who'll make it this year," she sniffed before returning her attention to her textbook. The words jumbled in front of her eyes. "This is impossible," she grumbled, slamming the hardcover closed. Others around her jumped at the sudden noise and she promptly apologized with a weak smile. The brunette bit her lip before stuffing the text into her bag. "That's it, I need a drink." She pulled out her phone and was moments away from dialing a familiar number but, she hesitated and pocketed the phone. "He has teaching to worry about."

And that's how she ended up spending the next few days of hell week. Head down and profile low. Several murders had occurred on campus, but she ignored them, knowing all the victims were pledges. Instead, Layton decided to clear her head and focus on her studies. She would've never sided with the killing of innocents, but Hamish had discouraged any meddling. The Order would take care of their own and their interference would only bring unwanted suspicion. But it didn't relieve any guilt when another name was added to the list. His direct order was continually on her mind and Hamish, himself, as always. Fleeting whispers were shoving and straining against the mental wall she had put up. She understood it wasn't healthy to ignore emotions and thoughts, but she had to. At the end of the day, she was a student and he was a teacher's assistant. Though they were both part of the Knights, they nevertheless had real-life roles to play. And if nothing were to ever happen between them, she needed to focus on herself and her future. But that was never easy. Classes were more intense and time-consuming then they were in years prior. She couldn't get by cramming or procrastinating anymore. And as she poured over her notes at Marco's, a guy with blonde curly hair bumped into the corner of her laptop and knocked it off the table.

"Hey!" She gasped as she caught it with Shadow's reflexes. Her heart pounded in her ears as she hastily straightened up the piece of tech, hoping no one noticed.

"Sorry," the guy sniffed before doing a double-take. Layton didn't pay him any mind as she began scanning the highlighted parts of her research paper. She thanked the stars that the laptop was safe. It cost her an arm and a leg to buy it as a freshman and she wasn't exactly well-off at the moment either. As she calmed her racing heart, Layton heard him slide into the chair in front of her. He immediately set his drink down and got comfortable.

"Can I help you?" She glanced up briefly. His ego was dripping and his eyes, predatory. A cocky smirk graced the blonde's lips and he leaned forward. She knew exactly who he was.

"You're a senior, right?" He asked casually. His cologne was expensive and overwhelming, and the smell of hops lingered on his breath. "I think you lived in the next dorm over when we were freshmen."

"You shouldn't know that," she cleared her throat and brought her laptop closer, obviously uncomfortable.

"I can't help but notice pretty girls like yourself."

She didn't offer any replies, hoping the silence would encourage him to leave. It didn't seem to work.

"Playing hard to get. That's actually new for me. Most girls are usually pretty excited when I flirt with them. The name's Kyle, yours?" He sank back in his seat and took another sip of his beer. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing. Thankfully, her silence was rewarded when his phone went off.

"Duty calls," he pocketed the device after checking the screen. "I've seen you around Marco's before. I'll buy you a drink next time." He tilted his bottle towards her before getting up and leaving. She didn't miss watching him disappear behind the door. And after a beat, the brunette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. _A member of the Order._ She had often heard the telltale ringing of magic when he was nearby. And it was true that she used to stay in the neighboring dorm, but what he didn't know was that she lived in the room opposite his. He was either overconfident or stupid because he often left his blinds open while performing various forms of low magic. She didn't understand what the symbols he was drawing meant at the time, but once she became a Knight, it all became clear. And for her own sanity, she, henceforth, avoided him like the plague. The farther the better. Bad magic had always given her pounding migraines, and guys like that, even worse.

"Hey."

She jumped in her seat when a familiar figure sat in front of her. Too consumed in her thoughts, she had completely missed Randall attempting to get her attention from the door. This was something that happened a lot recently. Her lack of focus.

"So, I had an amazing idea," Randall leaned in, eyes flickering to the other students in the bar. Layton groaned. That was the last thing she wanted to hear come out of his mouth. "You haven't even heard it, yet!"

"Humor me," she sighed, deciding not to argue with him.

"Okay," he readjusted himself in his seat. "There's this freshman, Jack Morton. I think he would be a good fit for one of the hides."

"Cannon Fodder?" Layton raised a brow, pulling her eyes away from her work. Randall looked like he just came up with a million-dollar idea.

"Maybe," he shrugged. "But he seems like a good guy and he's been trying to figure out those murders that have been happening on campus. Like actively pursuing the cases. I think he's got a good heart."

"If you say so. Midnight picks anyone to be their champion anyways. Half the time, it's suicide," she took a sip of her water before jotting down a few notes. She briefly looked up to see him patiently waiting for her to continue. "I'm sure everyone would be grateful for an extra set of hands if he works out. That's just my opinion though." Randall seemed entirely too satisfied with her response. "You should definitely talk to Hamish about this before you do anything." She gave him a look and rolled her eyes when he just wagged his brows. "Or do whatever you want and don't tell him."

"Exactly," Randall smirked. "Old Hamish will thank me for the new member. No need to worry him with the details. It'll be easy as pie."

"Baking isn't easy."

"I'm about to bake this into the oven if you know what I mean?" He winked and swiftly got up.

"No, no idea. I really have absolutely no idea what that means," Layton yelled at his retreating back. He shot her a quick thumbs up and another non-reassuring smirk before bouncing out the door. She shook her head before returning her attention to her work.

* * *

She had spent the whole day at the bar getting work done. Most of the patrons had left, leaving her to a rare sight. A quiet and calm Marco's. It was open all day on the weekends, minus a few hours before 11 AM for prep-work, to really milk the college students of their money. Layton was currently clocking in at 6:30 AM. The bartender on night shift was giving her the stink eye and she was sure that she would be kicked out sooner rather than later. That's about when she got a ping on her phone. A new message in their Knights' group chat.

_Induction in 30 mins.  
_-Randall C.

_Really?_  
-Layton D.

_ Is this another prank of yours?  
When did you even find the time to do this without us noticing?  
Are you being serious?  
_-Hamish D.

_Y so serioussssss? (:  
_-Randall C.

_Really?  
_-Layton D.

_It's 6:32 AM. Stop blowing up my phone.  
_-Lilith B.

_Sorry!  
_-Layton D.

_Sorry.  
_-Hamish D.

_T-Minus 29 mins. He's naked & sleeping. Tick tock.  
_-Randall C.

_What did you do? I'll be downstairs in a second.  
_-Hamish D.

_I'm on my way.  
_-Layton D.

_Move those legs, soldiers!  
_-Randall C.

_I'll kill all of you.  
_-Lilith B.

Layton hurriedly packed her bags and headed towards their house. She hadn't expected him to get their new member so fast and for it to even succeed. She was nervous but excited. A new hide to join their ranks. She just hoped that he would accept them. Maybe he could be the one that connected with Lilith and form a connection with her where she couldn't. One big, cobbled-together, dysfunctional, happy family.

"Oh, wow," she stumbled back when she finally opened the front door. Randall stood smugly on the stair steps. "Definitely naked." She dropped her bags to the side and moved around the freshmen. Drying blood coated his fingers and lips and dirt was smudged everywhere. It looked like he had a fun time rolling around on the forest floor following his first meal. Whichever hide took to him must have been thrilled to be out of their locker.

"He's been out for the last twenty minutes," Randall hummed. "Walked right in after a night partying in the woods."

"And no one bothered to cover him up?" Layton avoided looking at the obvious and rummaged around the house for something useable and no longer important. Lilith stumbled down the stairs in a loose tee and some dark tights. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before glaring daggers at Randall.

"Just got out of bed," Lilith growled under her breath. Her dark eyes glanced at the figure laying on the floor and she scrunched her nose. "He looks like an idiot."

"Nah, he's a really smart guy," Randall shook his head as Hamish trotted down a few steps after her.

"What's his name?" Hamish peered over the railing at the body.

"Jack Morton, apparently," Layton pulled a robe from behind the couch. She hoped no one would miss it considering there was a small tear along the side and scrambled towards the unconscious. "Top button," she pointed out as she slipped by the oldest Knight.

"Thank you," Hamish sent her a grateful smile before buttoning his vest up. "Did you get any sleep last night?" He glanced up. She casually tossed the robe on top of Jack's groin area and backed away. "You usually stay here during the weekends is why I'm asking."

"I was at Marco's all night." Layton tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. She didn't think he would've noticed or worried enough to, at least.

"I'll make you a cup of coffee before your first class then," he straightened out his vest when he saw the freshmen stir.

"Thanks," Layton whispered as she felt her face flush. Lilith raised a brow after one look at her. Layton quickly cleared her throat and avoided all eye contact.

"Places!" Randall clapped excitedly. "By the way, it was Silverback."

"Wow, okay," Layton nodded, impressed. That particular hide hadn't been active in decades. Randall leaned forwards just as Jack began opening his eyes.

"Wake up. Wake up." He snapped a few times in front of his face. Jack groaned and looked around, disoriented.

"Where am I?" His voice came out gruff and a look of worry crossed his face when his eyes traveled between the three strangers in the room. "Why am I naked?" He stared at the robe on his privates before furrowing his brows. "Where are my clothes?" Layton remembered the confusion and the million questions she had when she first got inducted.

"Oh." Randall looked behind him and gathered the remains of his outfit. "They got ruined when you ripped out of them." He gingerly set them in Jack's hands. "You'll get used to it."

"Used to what? And who are you people?" His gaze briefly landed on Layton and she offered a reassuring smile.

"Dude, it's me, Randall. I'm your RA."

"I know that! I meant them!" Jack plucked his phone off the stack of shredded clothes and gestured over to the other three.

"Oh, this is Layton, Hamish, and Lilith," he motioned to each of them. "And together, we are the Knights of Saint Christopher!" He ended by himself. "Guys, I thought we were going to say that together," he sighed when Hamish merely smiled at Jack and Lilith looked away. Layton placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry," she winced before pulling back her limb.

"And that's what? An improv troupe?" Jack gawked. He pushed himself off the ground and tied the loose robe around his waist.

"We are a sacred brotherhood-," Hamish took a step forward.

"A gender-neutral collective," Lilith growled, sharing a glance with Layton.

"-Anointed to fight dark magic with the power-," unfazed, Hamish continued.

"Dude!" Randall cut the leader off. The eldest sighed and shook his head. He couldn't with these people. "We're werewolves."

"And now, so are you." Layton grinned. Jack looked at all of us with utter confusion before laughing out loud.

"Oh, yeah, I get it. Townie wanted to join a secret society so let's make him think they-," Jack's face fell and he looked like he was going to be sick. His stomach lurched and bile, blood, bones, and fur splattered all over the floor. That was going to be a bitch to clean.

"Yeah…you ate a deer last night," Randall pointed to the vomit on the floor, just in case he was still confused.

"This isn't happening," Jack stared wide-eyed at the small bones on the floor mixed in with bits of meat. "This is not happening," he wiped his mouth.

"Oh, it's happening, the spirit of Silverback chose you as his champion," Hamish responded. "He bound to you and transformed."

"Transformed into what?" Jack took a step back.

"In case it wasn't obvious-," Layton held out a hand in a calming gesture.

"A werewolf," Randall rolled his eyes. "Dude try to keep up. I told them you were smart," Randall stepped over the vomit and laid a hand on his bare shoulder.

"Silverback's been dormant for 50 years and he picks this dumbass?" Lilith grumbled.

"Jack's the real deal. Every time I got close to that golem, he was there," Randall explained.

"You saw me fight Clay and you didn't help me?" Jack smacked his RA on the arm. Realization dawned on him when he started putting the pieces together. "You were that thing in the graveyard! You almost killed me."

"Welcome to the club," Randall smirked.

"No! I'm not going to be a werewolf," Jack retorted.

"Too late, you already are," Hamish crossed his arms.

"No, i-it wasn't a full moon last night," Jack tried to reason. He quickly pulled up the robe that was beginning to slip below the waist.

"Not a thing," Lilith shrugged.

"What about silver bullets?" Jack countered.

"Uh, duh, because it's a bullet?" Lilith raised a brow.

"Take it back, un-werewolf me," Jack demanded. Layton let out a soft sigh. She was hoping the induction process would be going smoother, but she knew it was wishful thinking. Even she, herself, wasn't exactly welcome to the idea at first. But with Randall and Lilith, they were much more enthusiastic after hearing the perks of being a Knight. She had figured he would've reacted in the same way.

"Once you're selected, you're a champion until the day you die," Hamish informed him.

"Just say the oath and get on with it," Lilith snapped. Layton looked over and Lilith lowered her voice. "I have class in an hour," she grumbled, sensing her stare.

"What oath?"

"I give my life to the cause…," Randall trailed off and then nodded.

"That's about right," Layton nodded.

"Fuck this and fuck you." Jack grabbed the remainder of his clothes and dashed out the door. All the wolves let him go despite knowing they could've stopped him in his tracks. But it was mutually understood that he needed this. Needed time to figure out what just happened. Literally, digest the whole werewolf idea and come to his own conclusions. If he was as great as Randall made him out to be, he would soon realize the importance of the Knights of Saint Christopher.

"Hey, that was my robe," Lilith snarled. Layton's eyes widened and she looked anywhere but at the other girl of the group. Randall gave her a knowing glance.

"He'll come around," he quickly changed the topic. Layton sent a thankful smile his way.

"And if he doesn't?"

"We kill him," Hamish sighed, staring at the door the new Knight left through. Layton felt her heart drop at the thought. It had never crossed her mind. She always assumed that if one was chosen by a hide, the champion was understood to be just that, their champion. Someone who fits the needs of their brotherhood-slash-gender-neutral-collective and would be willing to join them.

"By the way," Layton started quietly. Everyone had started dispersing. "Should we have told him about the ringing?"

"Oh," Randall doubled back with his hands on his hips. "Oops?"


	6. Sunshine and Beer Pong

"Hello, Miss Sunshine," a warm voice lingered in the air. It was a new day at Belgrave's University and students were already on their daily grind of coffee and relentless amounts of schoolwork. Layton was sitting on the lawn in the center of the academic plaza, following the actions of the other students around her. Most of them were spread out in various spots with picnic blankets and snacks. The brunette, herself, was munching on half a turkey and cheese sandwich and a sweet iced tea. Her hair had long since been pulled up into a loose bun to keep it off her sweaty neck and her sleeves rolled up. She had spent the better part of the morning perusing the internet and ignoring everything around her, that is, until now. A pretty blonde in a pair of cuffed jeans and converse had unceremoniously plopped down beside her. "Have you been ignoring my texts or just been playing hard to get?"

There sat Charlotte Miller, a senior psychology major, and Layton's old freshmen roommate. They had immediately bonded during their first year of college and, despite no longer living together, they still managed to play catch up now and then. Charlotte was the textbook definition of "happy-go-lucky." She was regularly out with friends and enjoying life day by day. It wasn't uncommon to see her strumming her guitar in the courtyard during the weekends and enjoying a slice of Pizza at Mo's. Layton had, personally, only ever seen her upset on one occasion – when her father got into a major car accident. Thankfully, he recovered, and Charlotte was back to her old self immediately. She was caring, kind, and loyal to a fault.

"Sorry, I've just been a little in my head lately," Layton scooted over so that Charlotte could sit under the shade as well.

"Lately? That sounds like you every time I see you. Just a big worry wort," Charlotte stole a bite of her sandwich before eyeing the laptop screen. "A nature documentary? Nice, which animal is getting eaten in this video?" Preferring to ignore her, Layton gently closed the laptop and set it aside.

"How have you been?"

Charlotte pursed her lips in thought before smiling, "Fantastic. I have a boyfriend now. Crazy, I know," she paused to search up an image of him on her phone. "Here!" A man with a tan complexion and buzzed hair smiled at her from the screen. He was generically handsome with a kind smile and Layton could easily see these two happily walking down the street holding hands. Something she kind of wished for herself with someone she knew. "His name is Parker and he's a TA on campus."

"Oh!" Layton's eyes widened. A TA….and a student. That was too familiar.

"Not for my department though," the blonde immediately clarified. "We met at a bar while I was traveling over the summer and by some coincidence, he also works here. So, we obviously kept in contact," she pulled her phone back to gaze at the picture fondly. "He's only a couple years older than me."

"Well, that's great! I'm happy for you," Layton reached over and squeezed Charlotte's arm.

"Thanks, well, what about you? Any guy catch the fancy of the gorgeous Layton Dunn?" Charlotte teased.

"You wish," Layton's attention conveniently turned to the phone in her lap. She fiddled with the rubber case on the device.

"You've always been an awful liar. Spill the beans! Is it that tall and handsome man I always see you with?"

"Are you stalking me?" Layton nearly choked on her spit. Her heart jumped into her throat.

"I just stare from afar sometimes," Charlotte giggled. "C'mon, seriously. Is it? You know? The one with the dark and curly hair?"

_Randall._ Layton let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"No, that's just a puppy I have to constantly make sure is out of trouble," Layton immediately denied. "He's high energy and high maintenance."

"Sounds like a handful."

"I promise you, he is," Layton offered a small smile. "But yeah, he's just a really good friend."

"That's what they all say before they fall into a big puddle of unsavable lovey goo," Charlotte warned playfully. "Just let me know when you guys get married."

"Right," Layton chuckled and rolled her eyes. "So, when do I get to meet Parker?" Charlotte's contemplated for a second before her eyes lit up.

"He's really busy. I mean, like a total busy bee. But we do plan to go to a party next week if you're interested? It's supposed to be a masquerade type thing, I know, total cliché, but we think it'll be fun. It shouldn't get too crazy. You should come and bring someone," Charlotte smirked.

"I don't know. Parties and I don't mix," Layton bit her lip. The thought of loud music, the smells, and a reverberating bass under her feet didn't sit well in her stomach. It wasn't just the hyper senses she now had; it was the experience of trying to fit into a crowd that didn't care about her. It was alienating, lonely. The only interactions she had at her last party were guys trying to find someone easy for the night. To put it plainly, it wasn't her scene.

"Well, let me know. There's an entrance fee, so anyone is welcome. Money is money," she shrugs. "If you do plan to show, even if it's by yourself, I'll spot you."

"Thanks."

"Hey, I've got to go. I just wanted to stop by to see how you were doing. I've got a class to catch in ten," Charlotte slowly got up and brushed off her jeans. "I really hope you can come to the party. It'll be fun."

"I'll think about it."

"That's all I wanted to hear," she grinned before waving a quick goodbye. Layton watched her go, blonde hair swaying gently in the wind and confidence in her every step. She wished she was just a bit more like Charlotte. Someone who enjoyed every second of the day as it came. Instead, the brunette spent most of her time in her thoughts. She didn't use to be this bad, but then again, she didn't use to bottle up her feelings either.

* * *

Layton was currently squished against the wall in a booth seat. Lilith sat next to her taking annoyed sips of her beer in-between glancing daggers at Jack, on the other side of the bar, and Randall, across from her. Hamish was unapologetically watching Jack and Randall was trying to keep both of them from possibly tearing the new blood to shreds.

"Remind me why we haven't dealt with him, yet?" Lilith grumbled. Jack Morton was enjoying a seemingly innocent night out with some friends. He had clearly noticed their presence in the bar but had every intention of avoiding them.

"Because we've been running all over town like idiots, trying to track down whoever is doing all this magic," Hamish took a tired sip of his gin and tonic.

"Ten bucks says it's some frosh testing out their first set of tarot cards," Randall shrugged. He got up to grab each of them a glass of water before settling down again.

"I can't remember it ever being this bad." Lilith groaned, snatching the glass out of his hand. She downed the drink and returned her stink eye to the freshmen trio laughing in the corner.

"You're kidding, right? Every year, the new Order recruits get a taste and start using magic on themselves." Hamish grunted and stared disapprovingly at the glass Randall shoved in front of him. Layton rolled her eyes and traded her remaining martini for his water. He offered her a quick smile. Her stomach was immediately filled with butterflies. She cleared her throat.

"Remember last year, right before winter break?" Layton offered. They all collectively groaned.

"It's him. Look at him." Lilith raised a brow. "Yesterday he's thrift store chic and today he's Mr. Fancy Pants?" She brought a decent point.

"Trying to impress the girl?" Layton offered.

"Maybe he's gotta do laundry," Randall shrugged and watched as their person of interest got up to leave.

"No, she's right," Hamish furrowed his brows. "Those pants are fairly fancy." Layton smiled into her sip of water. Of course, leave it to Hamish to know the quality and value of clothes. He caught the tilt of her lips and shot her a questioning glance, but she quickly shook her head and looked away.

"How is a townie getting magic?" Lilith sent an accusing glance Randall's way, who immediately shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yeah, I probably should've mentioned this before, but Jack's in the Order," Randall trailed off. Layton whipped her head around.

"What?" She stared, appalled. _Oh, Lord, help us in our great time of need._

"Shut the fuck up," Lilith growled.

"So, he's in The Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose. That doesn't make him a bad guy," Randall immediately went on the defense.

"They're our sworn enemies," Lilith crossed her arms.

"I second that," Layton bit her lip. If Jack, inexperienced and lacking all knowledge about transformations, shifts for just a second while inside the Order, they were all dead. "They could easily find out about us and we'd lose our anonymity."

"Yeah, but having an inside man is going to be fantastic," Randall lowered his voice. Layton looked between the other two he was trying to convince. She could visibly see Lilith's hackles raised and the cogs in Hamish's brain turning. "Besides, we don't know if he's doing the magic or not."

"We'll get confirmation," Hamish nodded.

"So, we're magic cops now?" Lilith argued.

"We've always been magic cops," Hamish countered.

"Fair," Lilith sighed before agreeing. She took an angry sip of her beer. "Okay, what about this?" She leaned in with a devious smirk. "We break into his dorm room. Check it out."

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," Hamish drummed his fingers on the table before nodding. "Let's go. You've got the master key, right?" Randall patted his pocket before hopping up.

"Nothing suspicious, just four inconspicuous companions barging into a freshman's room," Layton followed the others out the door. Lilith and Randall led the pack while Hamish fell behind to keep pace with the brunette. The senior fidgeted with a strand of hair before tucking it behind her ear, a nervous tic. Something that Hamish had long since picked up on.

"You alright?" His voice, low and worried, was directed towards her.

"Yeah, just-," she wanted to follow up with her classic line of "things on her mind," but she figured he wasn't going to have it this time around. "Bumped into a friend this morning. I don't think you've met her, but she was my roommate back in the day."

"Are you worried about her?" Hamish matched her frown.

"No, nothing like that," Layton looked up and offered a sweet smile. "She just….asked me to go to a party with her." She bit her lip before looking down. "And I don't know, yet. I don't think college parties are for me."

"Well, it sounds fun. A good time for you guys to hang out. I know you spend most of your time with us. It's good to branch out." Hamish laid a soothing hand on her shoulder. His touch sent her heart racing. She usually avoided all physical contact with him. "It's your senior year. Maybe it's time for you to live a little." She stayed silent for a moment and Hamish withdrew his fingers, letting them brush against her auburn tresses for a split second. The other two in front of them were chatting and, if she hadn't been so focused on Hamish, she would've noticed that Lilith laughed for once.

"She wants me to bring someone, like a guy," Layton broke the pregnant pause in their conversation.

"Oh." Hamish felt his heart drop. He didn't know why.

"Yeah," she heaved a sigh before running a hand through her hair.

"Do you have someone in mind?"

"I do." Those two words rang in his ears. They were loud and clear, yet, distorted somehow. It was like someone just knocked the air out of his lungs. Like he was drowning. _Why?_ "And I don't." The breath returned.

"Who is it?" He managed to ask through clenched teeth. It must've been because he was protective of his pack. None of them were involved in any romantic relationships. His was the most recent one. And that ended…traumatically.

"He wouldn't say yes anyway," Layton brushed the topic off. "He-…he's in love with someone else." So that was it. The possible answer to Hamish's question. The reason that the second oldest Knight had been brooding quietly alone all this time. It could've been whoever she was interested in.

"Well," he strained a smile. "It's his loss."

"I guess," Layton whispered.

"Debbie downers! We're here," Randall called to the two of them. "Let's turn those frowns upside down because we're about to do something highly against the rules." The two immediately caught up and as a group, they stood in front of Jack's room. "Okay, here we go!" He popped the key in and turned. "Bam," Randall cheered when the door unlocked. "And-, what the hell?" He gave the door a light shove and it didn't budge. "That's weird, there should only be a door chain…," Randall furrowed his brows and gave the door a few more pushes.

"Here," Layton stepped forward, eyes glowing ice blue and a low animalistic rumble in her chest. She scrunched her nose before calling forward her hide's strength to bust it open.

"He's not supposed to change the locks. Now I have to write him up." Randall frowned, eyeing the extra installed door guards.

"I think you can save the ink," Lilith smirked and shoved her hands in her pockets. She was liking what she saw. The room contained a lot more than what a normal "townie" would own. Layton warily stepped around the empty pizza boxes and piles of clothes.

"Okay," Randall slowly inspected the new items. "This room is ten times cooler than it used to be. But that doesn't prove he's doing magic."

"This does," Hamish sighed in disappointment. In his hands was a stack of blank papers apart from a large magical symbol and an "excellent" grade in red ink. Lilith pointed at the undeniable truth with satisfaction.

"I still don't think we should kill him," Randall sighed. "He's smart. He got 96% on that."

"He's performing selfish and bad magic," Layton frowned, plucking the stack of papers from Hamish.

"He's in the Order. We can't trust him," Lilith backed her up.

"Silverback picked him for a reason. We should try to figure out what that is," Randall stood his ground.

"And I agree. He was chosen as a champion and the hides don't make mistakes," Layton nodded, arranging the papers back onto Jack's desk. "But, I don't know guys."

"Hey, hey. Last time I checked, I'm in charge," Hamish cut in. "And I say there's only one way we settle this." The best tradition they had. _Beer pong._

* * *

The ping pong ball flew in a flawless arch before sinking into a red solo cup of alcohol.

"Drink up, loser," Hamish announced smugly.

"And don't spill half of it this time," Lilith crossed her arms in satisfaction. Layton watched from the sidelines, quietly nursing her own cup of liquor. The longer they waited, the more hesitant she became regarding Jack's fate. On one hand, she completely agreed that his acceptance in the Order could jeopardize everything they hold dear. On the other, she didn't know him, and if Randall was that dead set on him joining, he had to have some merit, right? That and a hide that wasn't Cannon Fodder had already chosen him. It spoke volumes on his character.

"What have we become?" Randall stared into the cup with furrowed brows. "We're the Knights of Saint Christopher. We're supposed to be champions of all that is good and just. Defenders of the innocent," he scoffed. "And look at us. We're letting a game of beer pong decide if Jack Morton lives or dies?" The room fell silent and a weird tension lingered in the air. Layton took a long sip of her drink.

"Fine." Lilith sneered. "Best out of three?"

"Deal." Randall cheered and the mood was lifted. Hamish rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. Was Layton staring? _No._ She quickly downed the rest of her drink. The game continued for another two hours. The benefit of being a Knight was that every member's alcohol tolerance was raised, courtesy of the hides. Randall, however, eventually went down, finding a nice spot on the wooden floor. His snores were almost instant. Lilith promptly retired to her room grumbling about how someone else was going to have to clean up in the morning. That left Hamish basking in the victory and Layton on the sofa.

"Clean win," Layton mumbled, speech slurred.

"Thank you," Hamish brushed off his vest. He pulled out a sharpie from one of the pen cups nearby and scribbled a few words on several cups. Layton watched him for a minute before taking a deep breath and hoisting her up and out of her seat.

"Woah," she swayed on her feet.

"Woah is right," Hamish finished lining the cups in front of Randall's unconscious body and moved to Layton's side. "Looks like you've had one too many."

"I'm good." Layton took a tentative step forward and nearly faceplanted. A warm pair of arms circled around her and kept her steady. "I'm good," she insisted, holding onto the sleeves of his button-up.

"I don't think so." His voice was extremely close, and she didn't know if it was the alcohol or the lack of sleep, but it sounded almost sultry. Nope. Definitely the alcohol. "Come on, I'll get you to your room," he propped her arm around his shoulder and slid his to her waist. It was awkward, with how tall he was, but it worked, for a bit. They had made it to the base of the stairs before the challenge began. Inebriated Layton did not understand that she had to lift her foot to climb the steps. She kept kicking her foot forward and knocking her sock-clad toes into the wood.

"Hamish?"

"Yes?"

"The stairs are broken."

The man let out a soft chuckle before shifting her in his arms. "I'll carry you." And before she could say another word, he was cautiously carrying her up the stairs bridal style. Layton didn't enjoy the constant bobbing of her head with each step and opted to press her face against his chest. Vanilla and sandalwood. It calmed her raging stomach and she swallowed the rising bile down. "You alright?" She felt his voice rumble in his chest. She could hear his heartbeat.

"You smell really good," she whispered into his vest.

"What was that?" Hamish chuckled. Even while drunk, she knew he had heard her. Perks. She gazed up at him from under her lashes before resting her cheek on his chest again. He was so handsome.

"Nothing," she breathed. He carried her into her and Randall's shared bedroom and set her down on her twin bed. Her body instantly melted on top of her weighted blanket.

"I'll tuck you in," he murmured, maneuvering the sheets from under her. She settled in quietly and smiled when he pulled the blankets up to her chin.

"You're the best Hammy." And then, she was out like a light. He paused and swept a few stray hairs away from her face. She was, at that moment, worry-free…beautiful. His thumb brushed against her cheek before leaving her.


	7. The Rookie

"Oh," Layton groaned. She had a pounding headache and the bright rays streaming in through the parted curtains only made it worse. She rolled onto her side and noticed that someone had gifted her a full glass of water and a pair of aspirin tablets. After chasing down the meds, she wiped her lips and stumbled out of bed.

"Hey!" Randall strolled into the room. "You look a little…."

"I know," she grumbled, rummaging through her dresser. For convenience sake, the Knights had their own rooms and extra clothes at the Den. It was mostly for weekends and patrol nights for the brunette. She wasn't a fan of stashing her clothes in the woods anymore before wolfing out. The others vaguely remembered it being something about Halloween night and stolen underwear.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be bringing Jack back here on request of ol' Hamburger and Lil," he rubbed the back of his neck. "They still really want to kill him, but I think I can work something out."

"Against those two?" She raised a brow and watched as Randall shrugged his shoulders.

"Just be ready in an hour, alright?" He grabbed the jacket hanging on the back of his chair before rushing out. Layton shook her head and shut the bedroom door after him. She chucked on a fresh pair of jeans and a loose top, simple and comfortable. That's what she needed right now. Between her hangover and the possible soon-to-be death of Jack Morton, everything else just needed to take the backseat and chill. That included her multiple assignments due in the next couple of days. She groaned at the thought. Despite being amazingly powerful supernatural creatures, three of them were still college students.

Layton spent the better part of the following hour searching for the best breakfast sandwich Belgrave had to offer. Her quest landed her at a local diner, Sally Shine's. It was a small but cozy establishment that she had often heard advertising over the radio station. Their dated décor and creased booth seats only added to the ambiance as much as the winning smile of the owner herself did. Sally was behind the counter taking orders. Her graying hair was pulled up into a messy top bun and her pen was currently resting between her lips. Their eyes met briefly.

"I'll be with ya in a sec, darl'!" She gave her a quick nod before returning her attention to her current customer. Layton used this time to flip through their clustered menu. Photos of overexposed items were littered throughout the booklet. Her gaze shifted when a particularly rowdy group entered through the front. One of the guys had his arm wrapped around a girl who was solely focused on her phone. She smacked her gum obnoxiously while tapping a text out with her claws for fingernails. Her man winked at her as they passed, and Layton felt a chill go down her spine. Sleazy was the specific way she would describe him.

"So, what can I do for ya?" Sally greeted her from her peripheral.

"Just the Classic, please," Layton returned the pleasantries before sliding the closed menu towards the owner.

"Comin' right up! Don't go anywhere," Sally grabbed the booklet and tucked it under her arm before leaving. The brunette was left to twiddle her thumbs as she waited for her meal. She could feel his stare from across the diner. It bothered her to some extent. She didn't know who he was and she sure as hell didn't what he wanted. Was he even a student here? Faculty? He didn't seem like either. Determined to avoid all eye contact, she, instead, directed her attention outside. Her window view comprised of mostly parking lot, but she still enjoyed watching the occasional raven swoop down for discarded fries. It was cute how their head bobbed with each step and she had always admired their wings. What would it be like to know that you could just fly at a moment's notice and leave all your problems behind? Leave the world behind, even, for just a few seconds to feel the wind brush against you. A steaming breakfast sandwich drew her out of her thoughts. She thanked the waitress before wolfing the food down. She wouldn't have rushed if she wasn't being watched. After she paid her bills at the counter, she donned her jacket and exited the diner. The gravel of the parking lot crunched noisily under her sneakers, so it wasn't hard to notice when someone else seemed to be keeping pace behind her. The hair on her neck rose gradually as she slowed to a stop.

"Don't you have friends to go back to?" She spoke just loudly enough for whoever it was to hear her. She wasn't scared but Layton had never been fond of confrontation. Not in her human form anyways.

"Evidently, I'm at the bathroom at the moment," a low voice returned from behind her. "I just wanted to know what a pretty thing like yourself was doing back there alone."

"Eating," she slowly turned. "It is a diner, you know?" He stood there with a worn leather jacket and beach blonde hair, dyed obviously. A conceited smile sat on his face and his hands were in his pocket. He didn't answer immediately.

"What's your name?"

"None of your business," she frowned when he didn't falter at her obvious disinterest. "I'm busy and you're wasting my time." Layton still had to make it back to the Den before Randall arrived with Jack in tow.

"I just wanted your number, is that so bad?" He took a stride forward.

"For when you leave your current girl?"

"Exactly, you get it. I have to keep my options open," his smirk just widened.

"Not interested, bye," Layton shrugged before turning on her heels.

"You can't just walk away from me," his sickly charming voice dropped into a low growl.

"Watch me!" She called over her shoulder. She heard him rush towards her before she felt a rough hand grab her shoulder.

"Listen you little-," his voice was hushed in her ears.

"Please refrain from touching me ever again," Layton sighed when she felt his grip tighten.

"You don't know who you're messing with."

"Evidently," she rolled her eyes, "You don't know who _you're_ messing with. And I suggest you take your hand off my shoulder. I wouldn't want to do anything…reckless in broad daylight," she turned her head to give him a glare, as menacingly as she could. She was attempting to channel Lilith and was really hoping that would be enough to curb his enthusiasm.

"What can a girl like you do?" He laughed before getting gut-punched. His sneakers dug into the ground to anchor him, but he still slid a couple of feet. Layton's eyes glowed an icy blue before turning to walk away. "What the fuck?! You're going to regret this! Come back here," the guy sputtered, trying to move towards her. She didn't pay him any mind. His grunts began to fade behind her when she overheard him call over to someone. Layton turned to see the people from his group begin to give chase. They did not look pleased. The girl from earlier was tending to the wounded male. The Knight heaved a sigh before breaking into a sprint. She didn't have time for this, and she didn't want any further public altercations. For once, broad daylight was her enemy. They couldn't just magic away everyone's memories of some college girl going to town on a group of guys in front of a diner. Everyone would have questions, and everyone had phones. Layton wasn't looking to go viral.

She eventually lost them on the run back to the Den. Physical activities were easy if you were bound to a werewolf hide. Layton unlocked the front door and was greeted with an always dapper Hamish by the bar and Lilith resting on the couch.

"You went out for a run?" Hamish glanced up from the cocktail he was making.

"Something like that," she exhaled. There was a light sheen of sweat covering her skin and her hair was beginning to cling to her neck. "Randall?"

"He's on his way," Lilith grumbled as moved to get up from her spot. "We can finally kill the guy," she stretched her limbs before heading to the bathroom. The older Knight was currently washing off her arms and face at the sink. A flash of confusion crossed her face when she saw Lilith walk in. "What? This is my hiding spot. We're planning an ambush," Lilith shrugged. Layton dried herself off with the hand towel and was then promptly kicked out by the moody student.

"I didn't know we were setting up an ambush," She looked towards Hamish as he finished up his drink. It was a lovely pale lime green and was carefully decorated with a sprig of mint.

"It was Lilith's "idea baby" as she's been calling it. He'll be here in a couple minutes," he handed her the cocktail. She took a small sip and beamed.

"It's good."

"Thank you," he smiled before patting her arm. "Go find somewhere to hide and finish that off. Don't want it to go to waste," he dipped into the living room, out of sight. Layton looked around and decided to head up the stairs. She assumed they were trying to cover different areas of the house in the likely chance that he didn't agree with dying. The sound of the front door creaking open piqued her interest. Here we go.

"You're sure you can get Hamish, Layton, and Lilith on board?" Jack's voice drifted up the stairs.

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely, no problem," Randall glanced around for the other Knight's. He called their names before Hamish made himself known.

"Great job, Randall," Hamish approached slowly.

"I thought for sure you were going to help him run," Lilith popped out of the bathroom with a smug smirk on her face. Layton quietly made her way down the steps, waiting until realization dawned on Jack. He whipped around to glare at Randall.

"You double-crossing bastard!"

"Everyone calm down. No one's killing anyone," Randall held his arms out towards the circling wolves.

"We agreed. Best out of three. You lost, he dies," Lilith growled.

"Jack landed his first kill," Randall ignored her. "Big bad magic." Layton paused at the foot of the stairs and leaned against the railing.

"That would change things," Layton acknowledged.

"Bullshit," Lilith scowled.

"Jack tell them," Randall raised a brow at the freshman. "Tell them how you heard the ringing and transformed in Silverback and took down your professor who was weaponized by bad magic," Randall lead. It seemed like more of a Randall story than the real story.

"That…that happened," Jack nodded, following.

"That's straight-up champion shit," Randall concluded. Layton tried not to smile only because the two other Knights were brimming with distrust and tension. She didn't know if it was a lie or more of an embellished truth, but she found it humorous, nonetheless. "And pretty impressive, considering he hasn't even been trained." Hamish continued to assess him quietly while Lilith drilled the situation.

"Doesn't change the fact that he's been doing bad magic," she countered. Her inky black eyes glared holes into the side of Jack Morton's face.

"That was a mistake," Jack quickly corrected.

"And he's very sorry," Randall finished for him.

"You're a mistake," Lilith stepped forward.

"Hamish?" Layton bristled at Lilith's movement. The kill changed his situation so she didn't want anyone to act hastily.

"We need to discuss this alone," he immediately interjected sensing her nerves. Lilith backed off.

"What are we gonna do about dick leak here? We can't just let him go," she grunted.

"She's right," Hamish looked around to the others for ideas. Their eyes met briefly but long enough for Hamish to catch Layton motioning towards their basement. Lilith must have caught on because, in one swift motion, the three of them wrestled Jack down the stairs.

"Don't do anything weird," Lilith shoved him towards their room of artifacts and hide lockers.

"Like locking somebody in your basement while you debate whether or not to kill them?" Jack snapped. Hamish gave him one last shove before hovering in the doorway.

"Yeah, like that," he smirked.

"We'll make it quick," Layton waved before trailing after the two. Randall lingered behind momentarily to chat with their new hostage. The four of them eventually decided to address the situation in the living room. Randall sprawled out on the couch next to Lilith while Hamish and Layton settled themselves on the opposite one. "So, if he stopped bad magic," Layton started slowly. Lilith quickly turned to her and glared.

"If. A strong if," she sneered before picking at her fingernails.

"Right, then, in our books, he's done right by the Knights," Layton continued.

"Exactly, he performed a Knightly duty," Randall gladly backed her up.

"Yeah, but one right doesn't fix all the bad magic he's done," Lilith snorted.

"Our past does not define us," Hamish scolded. "We weren't perfect before we were Knights, and we aren't perfect now."

"Wow, nice wisdom Ham Shank," Randall nodded happily.

"Stop," he groaned at the poor use of his name.

"I know he's not exactly enthusiastic about this but were any of us really at the start?" Layton looked between the three of them.

"I was!" Randall jumped up.

"Okay, yeah, sorry, I forgot we have the world's most hyper puppy in our group," she chuckled when he crossed his arms and sat back down.

"Need I remind you that this hyper puppy has the most kills out of all of us," Randall smirked.

"Not true and you know it," Layton raised a brow.

"Second most kills," he grumbled.

"Third," Lilith scoffed.

"Back to the topic at hand, guys," Hamish reclined backward into the couch. For the next few hours, the four of them argued and bounced ideas back and forth. Lilith was deadest on killing him while Randall was completely against it. Hamish was slowly leaning towards bringing him into the fold while Layton tried to offer an unbiased opinion for either side. She wasn't a leader, no, that was Hamish's position and she wasn't bloodthirsty like Lilith. She also wasn't extremely easygoing like Randall. She was the one that cared for the group. The glue, if you will. And that's how she always conducted herself when things weren't all right between the Knights. She'd hear out their ideas, make some semblance of logic out of it, and offer a response that had everyone's best interest in mind. Even if that included the newbie Lilith despised so much. Layton was eventually tasked to deliver Jack the courtesy of one meal. She felt guilty enough to ask him what he wanted and, although he was clearly irritated and disgruntled regarding the whole situation, he realized that this was probably the best he was going to get. So, Layton fetched him and the rest of the crew their lunch.

During his time of solitude, he had learned quite a bit of the Knights of Saint Christopher. There were various old texts and artifacts in their basement, and he had carefully gone over all that he could get his hands on. While he was finishing the last of his fries, the residents of the Den were gradually coming to their decision. Lilith mulled over her thoughts before planting her elbows on her knees and leaning forward.

"Okay. So, I say we kill him," Lilith smirked.

"You always say that," Randall groaned. She had been saying this line repeatedly throughout the whole conversation. He stared at the ceiling tiredly.

"And I'm always right."

"Nobody's always right," Layton sighed, sipping on her shake. Lilith crossed her arms and leaned back.

"Might be a waste of a good champion," Hamish said.

"He's no champion. He is a member of the Order. He is our enemy," Lilith clapped her hands. "Wake up guys, open your eyes."

"The guilt he's feeling is punishment enough. The guy's a breakup song on repeat," Randall sat up.

"Aw! He feels bad? Why didn't you say so?" Lilith faked a pitying expression. Layton sighed and dropped her head onto Hamish's shoulder. She felt an arm inch its way around her shoulders and she doubled down on her action, much to the chagrin of her nerves and better judgment. At this point, most of them had moved seats. Randall had migrated over to their couch and sat on Layton's right, leaving her in the middle. Their positions similarly reflected their views. Three against one.

"Come up with a punishment that doesn't involve slicing open an artery and we'll talk," Randall frowned.

"Guys, we all know there's only one way to solve this," Hamish smirked.

"Here we go again, are you sure?" Layton looked up. Their faces were close, scarily close. She could feel her heart ready to leap out from her rib cage.

"I'll win, like always," he mumbled into her ear. His voice was silky smooth and her face flushed. He didn't notice before he removed his arm and stood up. "Let's go, Lilith, you and me." The girl smirked and jumped out of her seat.

"I'll set it up," Layton rolled her eyes at the unexpected excitement and energy brimming from her. "You might want to tell Jack that it's going to take a little longer," the brunette motioned towards Randall and then the basement. Afterward, she headed over to their cabinet and fetched the red solo cups. She carefully filled them with the cheapest beer she could find and arranged them neatly for beer pong. Hamish and Lilith stood at opposite ends of the table and the game ensued with Lilith taking the lead. Unfortunately for her, the tables quickly turned, and Hamish caught up. Randall was cheering from the sidelines with Layton by his side. Both were nursing their own cups of alcohol to participate in the festivities. Layton was confident in Hamish's skills and although Randall wanted the eldest to win, she knew he was secretly rooting for their brooding roommate. It was the way he stared at her every time she landed a ball. Maybe she should ask him about their relationship later. Their decision was finally made when Hamish's ping pong ball landed in Lilith's last cup. She looked at the cup disappointedly before chugging it down and crushing the plastic in her hand.

"Fine," she growled. "Let's see what pea brain is doing." The four of them stumbled down the steps to find Jack casually reading one of their books.

"Hey! This isn't a library," Hamish waltzed in with a solo cup in hand.

"I was doing some research," Jack smiled, noting the strong stench of alcohol. Day drinkers, huh.

"I guess who doesn't want to spend their last day alive reading some old book?" Lilith scoffed. She eyed up him like prey and she was ready to tear him to shreds.

"Your reliquary is almost as good as the Order's," Jack complimented ignoring her attempt to intimidate him.

"Reliquary?" Hamish raised a brow.

"Your collection of magical artifacts," Jack explained with a wave of his hand.

"That's not ours," Lilith quickly corrected.

"This is magical contraband, confiscated by the Knights over the centuries," Randall pointed to the items around him. He plopped himself down on an old chair and took a sip of his drink.

"Think of this as an evidence locker," Hamish agreed.

"A dusty evidence locker," Layton ran a finger along the top of a short bookcase.

"Well, then you might wanna do a better job of securing it. Some of this stuff is pretty valuable," Jack furrowed his brows.

"It's in the basement of a house with four werewolves. I think it's fine," Lilith bristled.

"Have you ever read any of this stuff?"

"Of course not. We fight bad magic. We don't perform it."

"And we don't often come down here," Layton added.

"That's too bad. You might learn something," Jack got up from where he was seated. He turned around so that he was facing all of them before glancing down at the book he was reading. "Do you know why you eat your victim's hearts?"

"Dude, how many times do I have to tell you? Tradition." Randall sighed.

"No. You do it to stop the path of the magic. Okay," Jack began reciting the book. "If you don't eat the heart, the magic continues on its ways, following the necessary path to perform thy practitioner's bidding." This caught all their attention, even Lilith.

"Well, fuck me," she shrugged.

"There's a lot in here about the hides and their champions," Jack continued. "Greybeard is the fearless one."

"Sounds about right," Randall nodded with a smug smile.

"Tundra, the most cunning."

Hamish narrowed his eyes at the mention of his hide. It was one of the reasons he was the leader after all.

"Midnight is the reckless one."

"We call him 'Cannon Fodder,'" Randall informed.

"Shadow, the quickest."

Layton hummed to herself when she felt her hide surge with pride.

"I guess that makes you, Timber, a loner," Jack turned to Lilith.

"You got a problem with an independent wolf?" She snarled, ready to fight.

"Not at all. But here's the thing about Silverback. He's the most powerful."

"You're saying you want to be in charge?" Hamish immediately took offense. He was the oldest member and a new Knight wasn't about to overrule him.

"No, thanks. But we do want the same thing. Look, you guys want to take down bad magic. I want to take down a bad magician. I'm proposing an alliance," Jack finished.

Lilith looked to the others before returning her attention to him. "Who's your bad guy?"

"Edward Coventry. He's the leader of the Order, and he's responsible for my mother's death." The others glanced at each other. That wasn't what they had expected to come out of his mouth. Layton honestly felt bad for him. She was lucky that she hadn't lost anyone close to her, yet, so she could only assume what that pain was like.

"We don't do revenge," Lilith rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, you just kill people at random."

"I'll kill you." She stepped forward; her hands already formed into fists.

"Thank you for proving my point. Guys! We can help each other."

"He should've had a choice," Randall sighed. "We didn't give him one."

"Someone was overzealous at the time," Layton bumped her shoulder into his.

"I thought he was a good candidate," Randall shrugged.

"We'll try an alliance." Hamish crossed his arms.

"For now," Lilith sneered. Randall jumped up from his chair and slapped Jack on the back. This was the perfect outcome. And if all goes well this really would be another win for the Rand-man.

"Let's get to work Rookie," he smiled.

* * *

A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews and the support! Thank you, thank you!


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